According to Teamtwaddle Tottenham have made a late bid to snatch striker Emile Mpenza from under the noses of Premiership rivals Newcastle.
Earlier reports had quoted Mpenza as saying he was undecided as to whether he would stay at Schalke or join up with Newcastle, but the latest twist comes as a result of comments made by Mpenza's teammate and friend Marc Wilmots.
Wilmots said: "Emile told me that Schalke is o.k. but he doesn't feel very comfortable in Germany. He would like to sign the contract with Tottenham within the next few days."
Wilmots continued: "Spurs have offered a transfer fee of 26 Million Mark (#8million) to Schalke."

This is becoming embarrassing!

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2000

Answers

>>snatch striker<<

he certainly will be a prize c**t if he goes to Spurs

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2000

You're right - it is embarrassing, particularly for Spurs - how much have they spent on strikers this summer?

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2000

Again we may end up having to pay over the odds for someone. I have my reservations about all these 'deals' we are trying to do. If we wan't to sign someone then we had better hurry the chuff up before all we are left with as cover for Yin and Al is Kets and Gallagher.

It's hard not to get worked up about all the targets that are seemingly going to other clubs but I suppose we have to keep faith in young Bobby to deliver the goods. One good thing would be that if Spurs signed Mpenza they wouldn't want Cort, would they? If Leeds get Cort, would they release Bridges (I doubt it?) or even Alan Smith?

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2000

I'm starting to panic a bit actually.

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2000

Well blow me, Spurs are in for Cort as well, do you think they are bitter about the Ferdinand transfer.

Surely there must be a way of coming to an agreement here along the lines of, "We'll have him if you have him!"

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2000

For gods sake sort something out IF Spurs beat us to this one it will be major blow They are one of the sides we should be matching NOW not letting them forge ahead.Rebrov, Mpenza,Iverson, Armstrong v Shearer, Crocked Ferguson, Headless Chicken an aged Gallacher We have had months to tie up some deals and so far little to show for it. I said on an earlier thread we cannot go into the season relying on Shearer and Ferguson - we will be in deep turd

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2000

Didn't George Graham also say that the Hartson deal was definitely NOT dead?!?! So they could have a choice of strikers next season from :-

Iversen

Ferdinand

Armstrong

Rebrov

M'Penze

Cort

Hartson

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2000

MAGIC` MPENZA ON HIS WAY

Newcastle are on the brink of signing Belgian Euro 2000 star Emile Mpenza in an #8.3 million deal. The 21-year-old striker, scorer of a memorable goal in the opening game of the European Championship, is negotiating with the Magpies according to reports from Germany, where he plays for Schalke 04. Newcastle manager Bobby Robson confirmed on Tuesday: We have to solve some details but he will be a Magpie soon.

`Magic`, as hes known in Germany, also interested Tottenham and Italys Napoli but a late bid by Newcastle has seen him bound for Tyneside.

The speedy striker, with eight goals in 27 appearances for Belgium, is the younger of the two Mpenza brothers who featured for the co- hosts in Euro 2000. Mbo plays for Portuguese champions Sporting Lisbon, one of Robsons former clubs.

The signing adds some pace to Robsons attacking options, with Alan Shearer and Duncan Ferguson established members of the squad.

Meanwhile, Newcastle have agreed a prestige pre-season friendly. The Geordies will take on Barcelona in Spain on August 12, a week before the Premiership starts. whats going on please

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2000

Just the usual press stirring it up bollox :))

Something will have to break soon.....

I'm still praying for Enrique!!

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2000

Ah bollox, you know what worries me? It's less that the Man Uniteds and Arsenals and Chelseas have loads of strikers. It's the fact that even the likes of West Ham have 4 very good forwards (now including Suker). Villa have Dublin, Joachim, Carbone, Nilis, Vassell...all decent forwards. Spurs have the ones detailed above. Worried.

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2000

Well if Bobby can't get Mpenza from Schalke, maybe he could get Mpenza from Sporting Lisbon:-))

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2000

Barca friendly...bollocks. I think I'm going to be in Spain...the week before. Doh!

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2000

From spurs-update.co.uk

Update :- David Pleat has said that there will be no bid for Mpenza, so you can ignore that last bit of this story. He looks certain to join Newcastle in the next couple of days.

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2000

Newcastle manager, Bobby Robson: "We have to solve a few details, but Mpenza will be a Magpie soon."

& Schalke manager, Rudi Assauer: "Nothing is finalised yet. But we won't let too much get in his way. The club could use the money."

Arrgghhh...oh God's sake don't sign him Bobby! Go get Cral Cort for two million cheaper. (That said if Emile Mpenza sets the premiership alive I'll lick Gavs feet.)

-- Anonymous, July 05, 2000

And Robson goes for 'Two can play at this game'

-- Anonymous, July 05, 2000

And Robson goes for 'Two can play at this game'

Arrgghh he's the rest of it.

Robson muscles in on Spurs Cort bid By Ian Ladyman

Newcastle United have moved to hijack Carl Cort's proposed move to Tottenham.

The Wimbledon striker was the subject of a #6million offer from Spurs as White Hart Lane manager George Graham tried to take both the England Under 21 striker and his left back club-mate, Ben Thatcher, to north London. Leicester City have also made their interest known with a #6.5m bid.

But Newcastle boss Bobby Robson has tracked Cort all summer and feels he has the spending power to outgun Tottenham and Leicester as he seeks to find a partner for Alan Shearer and a replacement for the injury-prone Duncan Ferguson.

Tottenham have not yet received a reply from Selhurst Park and new Wimbledon manager Terry Burton will now seek the best price in the wake of relegation to Division One.

Robson has been chasing FC Schalke's Belgian international Emile Mpenza during Euro 2000 but feels he is overpriced at #8m. A move for Cort, however, has been sanctioned by his board. Newcastle thought the Shearer-Ferguson partnership was the answer to their problems last season as the big Scot took on the burden of playing target man.

But the north-east club have grown tired of waiting for Ferguson's much-chronicled injury problems to clear up and have been hawking him around the Premiership.

Cort expressed a desire to leave Wimbledon during and after last season and is certain to get his wish.

'We are not denying that we have been speaking to Wimbledon,' said Tottenham director of football David Pleat last night. 'It is true that we have an offer on the table and we are waiting to see if the bid is accepted so that we can speak to the two players.'

-- Anonymous, July 05, 2000

I would be happier with Cort. England U21 (no guarantee I know, look at Serrant, Hamilton!) and he scored 17 for Wimbledon last year and they were pants.

Cheaper price and more likely to slot straight into the scoring stakes. Shearer, Cort, Ferguson and Gallagher would just about do.

If Ferguson is rested as part of a rotation system we can probably see him more often conversly!

-- Anonymous, July 05, 2000

What happened to "Bruno's signing" this week? Never heard anymore since last Wednesday. Is it shelved because Guardiola is now available- I wish.

-- Anonymous, July 05, 2000

Confudes by all this transfer activity?

the Fiver can help you - read on

CHOCKS HOWAY!

Pay attention! Squadron leader Fiver here, with some dashed important news for you all, so buck up and buckle down. See this blackboard to my right covered in pointy arrows? Yes? Well this represents the transfer activities of club A and club B. But for our purposes, we'll call them Newcastle and Spurs.

Now club A, that's Newcastle, have a strong interest in Belgian johnny Emile Mpenza. I will denote him with an X. According to reports in the North East, manager Bobby Robson and chairman Freddie Shepherd are today in Germany (I think we all know where that is, what?!) talking over an #8m move with his club FC Schalke. But according to reports in London, which I will denote with an X, Spurs are hoping to hijack the deal. Hijack! Where?

According to my chappie on the inside, person X would prefer a move to destination X, a transfer I will denote with an X. "Emile told me that Schalke is OK but he doesn't feel very comfortable in Germany", whispered Belgian agent Marc Wilmots. "He would like to sign the contract with Tottenham within the next few days."

Which could leave Newcastle fishing in the canal with a spatula. But, be prepared, cub scout law, Newcastle have a dashed cunning back-up plan. Yes, they have Wimbledon's Carl Cort in their cross hairs. Like Mpenza, this chappy bunks in Lanky House, so I will denote his long legs with an X. But, and I will denote this back door banditry with an X, the jolly Magpies face competition from a rival club who want to sign not only Cort but Dons full-back Ben Thatcher too.

"We are not denying we have been speaking to Wimbledon and it is true that we have an offer on the table," said the director of football at this mystery club. "We are waiting to see if the bid is accepted so that we can speak to the players." But who are these bally fiends, whom I will denote with an X? Why none other than the Hotspurs of Tottenham. Yes, the very same! So X +X times X minus X = X. But keep it to yourselves - careless talk costs quids don't you know.

-- Anonymous, July 05, 2000